Abortion: Advertising

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have had discussions with Channel 4 about its acceptance of television advertisements for abortion services; and whether they will make representations to Ofcom about barring television advertisements for abortion services.

Lord Shutt of Greetland: Under the existing broadcast advertising rules non-commercial providers of post-conception advice services are permitted to advertise on television in the UK. There has been no change to the advertising code or the law in this regard.
	Broadcast advertising is strictly controlled by the Advertising Standards Authority working in a co- regulatory partnership with Ofcom. This regulatory regime is independent of Government and sets the standards for all television advertising. It is the responsibility of Ofcom's licensees, the commercial TV channels and radio stations, to observe the statutory codes on advertising standards and practice.
	If, in exceptional circumstances, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport was persuaded that the rules in this area were not strong enough, there are, ultimately powers under the Communications Act to direct Ofcom on the descriptions of advertisements that should not be included in programme services.

Asylum Seekers: Legal Advice

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government why only 16 per cent of new asylum applications will get early access to legal advice from October; and whether they have considered applying the results of the Solihull pilot project more widely.

Baroness Neville-Jones: Legal help is currently available to all eligible asylum seekers from the outset of their claim. UKBA and LSC are working with key asylum partners and plan to test the 2007 Solihull pilot principles of an enhanced legal service across an entire UKBA region.
	The process aims to improve the quality of initial asylum decision-making by front-loading the system and achieving cultural change in the asylum determination process on the part of the decision maker and adviser.
	This will allow Government and their delivery partners robustly to test the benefits of the process and assess the viability of a national rollout.

Aviation: Volcanic Ash

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what risk assessments have been undertaken in the past three years by the Civil Aviation Authority; and whether they considered one on volcanic ash.

Earl Attlee: The Civil Aviation Authority's Safety Regulation Group has a safety risk management process (SRMP) for UK air operations that monitors safety performance and establishes safety strategies and takes any necessary actions accordingly. The risk analysis process looks at the overall system as opposed to specific areas and is used to identify the most significant safety risks for UK aviation.
	The most recent analysis was conducted in 2009, volcanic ash was not identified as an area requiring additional work as the existing international guidance was considered sufficient to ensure the safety of air operations.
	This process is described in paragraph 1.9 of the CAA Safety Plan 2009-11: www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP786.pdf.

Benefits

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to start re-testing incapacity benefit claimants with the work capability assessment before moving them to replacement benefits; whether they will take into account the most recent work capability assessment the claimant has had; and whether they plan to re-test any claimant of the employment and support allowance.

Lord Freud: Employment and support allowance was introduced in October 2008 and existing incapacity benefits continued in payment. The current plans are to begin the reassessment of cases receiving the old style incapacity benefits in October 2010 with a small trial to test and learn from the process, with the national reassessment programme planned to run from spring 2011 to March 2014. The key tool to support reassessment is the work capability assessment which is carried out by a healthcare professional and delivers an assessment of the extent to which a claimant is capable of work. We are aware that some people need much more support to manage their conditions and get help to find work and moving them to employment and support allowance is the best way to do that. We know this is a big undertaking and are working on plans to make the change happen as smoothly as possible for all customers. We also plan to evaluate how employment and support allowance is working in order to ensure that it meets its objective of helping people back to work.
	A person receiving employment and support allowance will have their capability for work reassessed at intervals determined by their individual circumstances.

Cyclists: Deaths

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce cycling-related deaths, particularly among women.

Earl Attlee: There are a number of initiatives under way at present, aimed at improving cycle safety. These include promoting bikeability cycle training; promoting the Highway Code and safe road use, including use of protective equipment such as high visibility clothing and cycle helmets; providing more safe cycle routes; guidance to local authorities on the design of safer road infrastructure, including effective cycle-specific measures as well as more general measures that benefit all road users such as 20 mph zones and better traffic management; improvements to motor vehicle driver testing and training; and new measures on lorry mirrors to improve the visibility of cyclists and pedestrians. The measures on lorry mirrors should be of particular benefit to women who are over-represented in fatal cycle incidents involving lorries in London. All this is against a background of encouraging more people to cycle while minimising the risks of cycling.

Education: Languages

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Diploma in Languages and International Communication will be introduced in September 2011.

Lord Hill of Oareford: We announced on 7 June that the development of the three academic diplomas will stop immediately. This means that the Diploma in Languages and International Communication will not be introduced in September 2011.

Energy: Carbon Emissions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to reduce further the target levels of carbon dioxide emissions; and over what timescale.

Lord Marland: The Government have committed to push for the EU to demonstrate leadership in tackling international climate change, including by supporting an increase in the EU emission reduction target to 30 per cent by 2020.
	We do not yet know the details of how EU-wide efforts to move to 30 per cent would be shared across member states but we recognise for the UK it would require a more stringent target for 2020 than the current 34 per cent reduction enshrined in the Climate Change Act, and tighter carbon budgets in the period 2013 to 2022.
	The Climate Change Act requires that the Government obtain and take into account the advice of the Committee on Climate Change before amending the level of targets or carbon budgets, and amendments are subject to parliamentary approval (affirmative procedure).

Energy: Fuel Poverty

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the forecast increase in the number of those classified as being in fuel poverty due to electricity cost increases from increasing expenditure on renewable energy infrastructure and payments under the feed-in tariff scheme due to Government and European Union carbon reduction targets.

Lord Marland: The latest projections indicate that fuel poverty in England is likely to rise to around 4.6 million households in 2009. The projections are based on known changes in prices, and conservative estimates of income change and energy efficiency improvements in the housing stock. Projections for 2010 will be published on 14 October, which will be based on known aggregated price increases and will not be able to identify the change in fuel poverty with any specific measure.

Environment: Aarhus Convention

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to implement the terms of the Aarhus Convention that non-governmental organisations and individuals should not encounter prohibitive costs in bringing individual cases challenging environmental damage.

Lord Henley: The UK ratified the Aarhus convention in February 2005 and submitted an implementation report to the Aarhus Secretariat in 2008 detailing the measures taken to comply with it. This includes measures to comply with Article 9(4) which provides that procedures to provide access to justice are "fair, equitable, timely and not prohibitively expensive".
	The issue of compliance with Article 9(4) has been raised in cases before the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, and the European Commission has raised concerns about the expense of the procedures available in the UK for providing access to justice in the context of the public participation directive (which implements some of the requirements of the Aarhus convention in the EU). The Government are considering their response to the Commission's concerns.

EU: Financial Assistance to Member States

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will not implement any European Union measures that would adversely affect the City of London's status in providing financial and related services.

Lord Sassoon: The Government are committed to maintaining London and the wider UK's status as a leading centre for providing financial and related services, and will factor this objective into all negotiations with EU and international partners. The UK's financial services sector is important to the UK and as part of a wider European and global sector. It is therefore necessary to ensure the right regulatory framework in order that the sector's full potential for the UK can be realised.
	The Government will implement European Union law in accordance with its obligations under the EU treaties in an effective, timely and proportionate way, thereby minimising any regulatory burden.

EU: Treaties

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposal to require referendums before any further European Union treaty amendments are agreed includes treaties for the admission of new countries to the European Union.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The referendum lock is not intended to catch all treaty amendments. It depends on whether the treaty includes the transfer of further powers or competences from the UK to the EU. Accession treaties would not be subject to a referendum as they do not involve such transfers.

European Public Prosecutor

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the status of the proposed European Public Prosecutor; and whether United Kingdom citizens may be extradited to stand trial in other European Union member states under its powers, or under those of the European arrest warrant.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government do not support the creation of a European Public Prosecutor (EPP) and have made it clear that they would not participate in its establishment.
	The Government are giving careful consideration to the UK's current extradition arrangements worldwide-including the European arrest warrant (EAW)-to ensure they operate effectively and in the interests of justice. A range of options are being considered and the Government will make an announcement in due course.

Food: Chicken

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many chickens have been imported from (a) European Union, and (b) non-European Union, countries in the past three years; which five countries exported the largest amounts in the last year; and what welfare standards are required in European Union and non-European Union countries before import is permissible.

Lord Henley: The tables below provide details of the imports into the UK of live chickens from EU countries and non-EU countries for the period 2007 to 2009 and the five countries from which the UK imported live chickens in 2009 as recorded in the Official Overseas Trade Statistics for EU countries and the European Commission's Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) database for non-EU countries.
	World Trade Organisation rules do not allow us to ban imports on the grounds of the welfare standards applying in third countries. Within the EU there is a well established principle in Community law of the free movement of goods. Council Directive 2007/43/EC sets down minimum welfare standards for meat chicken production within member states.
	
		
			 UK imports of live chickens from EU countries, 2007-09 
			 Number of chickens 
			  Country of dispatch 2007 2008 2009 
			 EU France 1,754,366 254,716 1,804,534 
			  Germany 508,272 396,836 51,819 
			  Irish Republic 2,539,179 3,172,903 3,273,357 
			  Netherlands 456,297 378,056 2,140,833 
			  Sweden 711   
			 EU Total  5,258,115 4,202,511 7,270,543 
		
	
	(c) Crown Copyright
	Source: HM Revenue and Customs.
	Data prepared by Trade Statistics, Economics and Statistics Programme, Defra.
	2009 data are subject to amendments.
	EU data based on EU 27.
	
		
			 UK imports of live chickens from non- EU countries, 2007-09 
			 Number of chickens 
			  Country of dispatch 2007 2008 2009 
			 Non EU Brazil 3,000   
			  Canada 22,880 58,800  
			  U.S.A. 502,187 351,278 359,820 
			 Non EU Total  528,067 410,078 359,820 
		
	
	Source: European Commission's Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) database.
	
		
			 Top 5 countries from which the UK imported live chickens in 2009 
			 Irish Republic 3,273,357 
			 Netherlands 2,140,833 
			 France 1,804,534 
			 U.S.A. 359,820 
			 Germany 51,819 
		
	
	Source: HM Revenue and Customs and European Commission's TRACES database.

Gaza

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about the reasons for the closing of the two main branches of the Arab Bank in the Gaza Strip.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of these closures, but have not had discussions with the Arab Bank regarding its decision to close branches in the Gaza Strip.

Health: Drugs

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance to (a) pharmacists, and (b) shop assistants, has been published which would ensure that personal health details remain confidential when drugs are sold over the counter which were recently transferred into that category from the prescription category.

Earl Howe: The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's Code of Ethics for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians makes it clear that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should respect and protect the dignity and privacy of others, taking all reasonable steps to prevent accidental disclosure or unauthorised access to confidential information and ensuring that confidential information is not disclosed without consent, apart from where permitted to do so by the law or in exceptional circumstances.
	In addition, all staff working in the National Health Service, including private sector staff working in and around health, such as shop assistants, should meet the standards outlined in Confidentiality: the NHS Code of Practice.

Marie Stopes International

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what payments each department made to Marie Stopes International for (a) abortions, (b) family planning, and (c) other reproductive health services in the last year; and how much they plan to give to Marie Stopes International in the each of the next three years.

Baroness Verma: The Department for International Development (DfID) provided £770,000 to Marie Stopes International in 2008-09 through four Civil Society Challenge Fund grants. DHD does not classify spending under the categories requested and this information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Additional payments can also be made through country offices and partners supporting reproductive and maternal health programmes. We are unable to collate this expenditure without incurring disproportionate costs.
	It is a major priority for the UK Government to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to modern family planning methods and promoting women's choice, in the developing world.
	DfID is currently reviewing its bilateral and multilateral development assistance to ensure effectiveness and value for money. Funding to Marie Stopes International for the next three years will be reviewed under this process.

Migrant Workers: Volunteering

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how migrant domestic workers will be able to undertake volunteering or study to pass the Life in the UK Test in the light of their possible working conditions.

Baroness Neville-Jones: Before an employer is able to employ an overseas domestic worker, they are required to provide a statement of the terms and conditions of employment. As part of this statement they are required to confirm the level of annual leave and free time which the domestic worker will be entitled to. All those under this route should therefore have sufficient time in order to prepare and undertake the Life in the UK test.

NHS: Management Consultants

Lord James of Blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the budget and cost of all external management consultants employed by the National Health Service in the last financial year for the geographic area managed by the London Strategic Health Authority; and what is the budget in the current year.

Earl Howe: This information is not available centrally.
	I would expect local National Health Service organisations to publish the costs of using external management consultants as part of their annual reports.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised the case of Aijalon Mahli Gomes, held in a North Korean prison, with the Government of North Korea.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of Mr Gomes' case. The Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, which is the consular protecting power for US nationals in North Korea, is handling his case. We are in touch with the Swedish embassy and stand ready to offer assistance if they request it.

Ports and Harbours

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is the harbour authority as defined in the Harbours Act 1964 for the Helford River in Cornwall.

Earl Attlee: There is no statutory harbour authority within the meaning of the Harbours Act 1964 for the River Helford.

Schools: GCSEs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the results of International GCSE examinations taken by pupils at independent schools will be included in the 2010 school performance tables.

Lord Hill of Oareford: We are working on the detail of proposals for the reform of league tables so that schools are able to demonstrate the progress of children of all abilities. We are currently considering how achievement in iGCSEs may be properly reflected in the new arrangements.